Chapter 49 BATTLE ON THE ROAD
"So you're going to the Andagon Valley?" asked Christian. He was standing at the entrance of the town with Magnus, Darren, Xyra, and Astrid. "Isn't that the home of the dragon tribe?"
"Yeah," answered Darren.
"Then why go there? I thought the dragons weren't too fond of humans."
"Most aren't, but the dragon king made a pact that his tribe wouldn't kill humans or demons in return for leaving them in peace. Only a few have ever broken it, and they paid the consequences."
"We'll be fine," Magnus added with a smile, wanting to assure the young mayor that they weren't going to be in over their heads.
"I suppose I can't argue with you," he sighed. "Come visit again soon, alright?"
"We will. Bye."
The four of them turned around and began leaving the town. They had a long ways to go. It would take at least three days to get there, and that was if they didn't have any unwanted distractions. There was always the possibility of a demon attack. In fact, it was highly likely that such a thing would happen. The way to the Andagon Valley passed right through one of the hot spots for demon hunters. It had everything from dog demons to shape-shifters. Hopefully, they wouldn't get themselves in too much trouble. If they were going to present themselves to the king of dragons, they all wanted to be in one piece.
They had been walking for quite some time, none of them saying anything. There wasn't really anything to be said. Besides, silence was nice sometimes. It gave people time to think about things, and all of them had quite a bit on their minds. Just thinking about where they were going was enough to occupy them. They'd be meeting one of the most powerful men on the planet, the dragon king Xerxes.
When Magnus had asked Darren about the dragon king earlier, the hunter hadn't said much. He had barely given any description at all. Either he didn't know the man that well or he was afraid to talk about it. Both were likely. It was only natural for a human to fear a dragon.
After they walked a bit further, Magnus was in the lead. The sorcerer suddenly stopped. A sigh escaped his lips as he glanced down at his pendant. Yet again it was glowing a bright blue.
"I knew this wasn't going to be easy," he said.
"What is it?" asked Xyra. However, her answer came when Magnus turned to his right, extended his arm, and launched a lightning spell. The sphere of magic slammed into the body of a rather large demon. The beast cried out as it was shocked, and soon it fell to the ground twitching.
"Demons, huh?" said Darren with a smirk. He drew his sword and watched as about ten demons surrounded them. They were much like the first that Magnus had dealt with. Their bodies were a pale blue color, and they stood on their hind legs. Their heads were pretty small, their eyes like nothing but two black points on their faces. By the ways how they walked to the fact that they couldn't speak, gave the impression that they weren't very smart. However, like all demons, they had deadly claws and highly sharp teeth, and the knowledge of how to use them to their advantage made up for their lack of intelligence.
"So how do you want to take care of this?" asked Xyra as she too drew her blade. "All in one blow, or should we all take part?"
"Definitely not in one blow," Magnus said. "These things are ogres. Strangely enough, they're resistant to powerful magic. I'm basically stuck with a lightning spell this time."
"So you're finally going to rely on us," stated Darren with a smirk. "About time. You always try to do everything on your own."
When the ogres made their move, Darren and Xyra charged forward, their swords poised. They both broke off and began combating, their steel meeting the claws of the demons. Magnus was quick to cast a few lightning spells. Unfortunately, all he could do was stun them into unconsciousness. No magic could completely kill them. I wish I still had a sword. I'll have to buy one in the next town.
A scream came from behind him, and he turned around, watching as Astrid was knocked to the ground. An ogre stood over her, its claws extended and ready for a strike. She wasn't going to be able to get up in time. However, the claws never hit her. Magnus had managed to throw a lightning spell just in time, sending the demon to the ground.
"Are you okay?" he called in concern, and Astrid just nodded in response. She wasn't aware at the moment that the demon Magnus had knocked out was getting back to its feet. He noticed though. Damn. I hate ogres. They always make me feel so useless!
Magnus quickly ran forward, keeping his eyes on the demon and Astrid. It was getting ready to strike at her again. However, her back was turned, and even if he called out, she wouldn't make it in time. Just as the ogre swiped its claws, Magnus reached her. He bent down a bit, locked his arms around her, and then quickly stepped to the side and jumped, getting far enough away so that the attack hit nothing but air.
He sighed in relief, realizing just how close he had been to being hit. However, there was nothing else he could have done. His lightning spells didn't even seem to be working for long. It was all up to Darren and Xyra. The least he could do was protect Astrid, who didn't seem to have any combat knowledge whatsoever. As long as she was in this form, she was just as vulnerable as a human.
"Just stay close," he told her. "I'll protect you."
Astrid smiled up at the sorcerer, her golden eyes beaming with admiration. He had risked his life to save hers, and she was deeply touched by such a heroic effort. Other than Darren and her father, no one had ever really looked out for her. Magnus was doing all he could to make sure that nothing touched her. He's such a sweet guy.
The battle eventually came to an end. Xyra and Darren had managed to kill all ten on their own since Magnus had given up after just a few attempts. He had, however, done a great job at keeping Astrid out of danger. He was quick on his feet, always able to evade whatever was thrown at him.
"You two alright?" asked Darren as he and Xyra sheathed their swords.
"Yeah," answered Magnus as he finally released Astrid. A sigh escaped his lips as he hung his head a bit. "Sorry."
"Don't be stupid. You're always doing stuff for us. It was fun having the roles reversed for a change." A grin spread across the hunter's face. "Besides, I really owe you. You watched out for Astrid."
Magnus smiled a bit at that. He looked at Xyra, about to say something, but a weight on his arm stopped him. He glanced over and saw Astrid there. She had her arms wrapped around his, and she was leaning against him.
"Thank you," she replied happily. "I'm very grateful." She looked up at him, her golden eyes brimming with admiration. "You're such a nice guy."
"Um…thanks," he told her, sounding a little confused. She wasn't letting go of his arm. He didn't want to pry her off and risk being rude, but he wasn't used to having someone clinging to him like this. She was making him a bit nervous.
"She's not going to let go, you know," began Darren, as if reading his mind. "Dragons are pretty loyal. You saved her life, so she's not going to leave you alone for quite a while. Better get used to it."
A sigh escaped the sorcerer's lips as he began walking forward, wanting to get a move on. Astrid walked right with him, holding tightly to his arm. Behind him, Darren was snickering a bit, finding the whole situation rather amusing. Right next to him was Xyra, and he couldn't help but notice her reaction to this predicament. She was keeping her distance, and there was a pretty annoyed scowl on her face. Well, well… I wonder… Is perhaps the little thief just a bit…jealous?